The Strongest Promise - A Songs of War FanFiction (So Much In Common Sequel)

Chapter One - Preparation

Nitsuke tripped and fell, barely managing to catch herself with her hands. She huffed in annoyance, trying to get back on her feet, her sword readied in front of her. A stray strand of hair blew in her face and she pushed it back behind her ear. She bit her lip, watching her opponent pensively for his next move.

The Captain himself stood before her, his wooden training sword raised high above his head. He brought it down, but of course, Nitsuke knew he would never actually harm her. All the same, she had to feign otherwise, at least for this moment.

She reacted quickly, pushing herself back up and blocking the downward strike. Kiyoshi smiled and nodded in approval as the two continued to trade blows with their wooden training weapons.

"In combat, you should never let your guard down for a single moment," Kiyoshi advised as they continued to battle, though the Captain began to get the upper hand fairly quickly. "Not for anything. Every second of attention counts, so..." The Captain froze, staring into Nitsuke's fear-filled eyes. His cheeks went red. In the moment he was distracted, Nitsuke's sword clipped him in the shoulder and he fell over. He sat up and began laughing.

"See what I mean?" he asked.

"You're lucky I wasn't a Netheran," she countered, loosening her grip on the sword.

"I wouldn't have stopped and blushed at the sight of a Netheran," Kiyoshi pointed out.

"Fair," Nitsuke relented. "But we can't keep treating these sparring sessions like they're games. If I am to truly learn how to fight, you can't keep holding back."

"With two months of training and immense enthusiasm, you have already learned a lot," Kiyoshi reassured.

"And yet, here I am still 'winning' every single time," she pointed out. "I know you're a leagues-better fighter than me, Kiyoshi. I've seen it myself."

He was silent for a moment. "You're right. I've gone too easy on you," Kiyoshi agreed. "But are you sure you want me to give it all I've got? I don't want to hurt you, Nitsuke."

She laughed slightly. "I can take it," she said with a shrug. "I'll be fine. I just don't want to get caught in a battle I can't fight."

Kiyoshi got back to his feet and brushed himself off. "Very well, then. Either way, I'm proud of how far you've come. It won't be long until you're a skilled warrior."

Nitsuke smiled. "With your training, I expect no different." She readied herself. "Attack me."

The Captain nodded and went on the offensive. This time, however, he was using much more of his skill. In a few blows he had disarmed her, the wooden sword falling to the ground several feet from her.

"Don't worry, you don't always need a weapon. Try to dodge my attacks," Kiyoshi instructed as he continued. Nitsuke's natural Felina instincts kicked in, and she ducked beneath a swing and began to run to where her sword had fallen. Kiyoshi, however, blocked her path to the sword. Her eyes widened, and she stopped herself as he continued to attack. She attempted to grab his sword arm to stop a blow she feared she could not block. It actually worked. Kiyoshi looked at his sword arm and once again nodded in approval. "Very smart of you."

She ignored him, focusing on trying to overpower him. This was not working, however, as he was much stronger. He knocked Nitsuke back. "Strength isn't all when it comes to fighting. You have to be agile and aware. If you can't outmatch me... outsmart me. Try the same thing again."

Nitsuke accepted the advice and tried the same move again. This time, however, she didn't try to push back. She managed to roll out away from him, letting go of his arm in the process so that the sword hit nothing but air.